Young and old share the blame for Senators

It’s too easy to dismiss the Ottawa Senators string of third period collapses as simply the product of youth.

At least coach Paul MacLean isn’t buying that.

“The guys that turned over (the puck), the mistakes we made weren’t just the young guys, so we can’t just paint it with that broad brush,” MacLean said of the Thursday collapse that turned a 3-0 second period lead against the New Jersey Devils into a 4-3 third period deficit in what ultimately became a wild 5-4 shootout loss.

“I think it’s the whole team. The whole team has to go through the learning process of having a lead and learning how to bring it home.”

The Senators have now blown third period leads three times in the past nine days: against New Jersey Thursday, versus the Washington Capitals on Wednesday and against the Dallas Stars on Dec.1.

In the latest episode, many of the Senators key veterans, including Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson, helped turn the tide in New Jersey’s favour with errors. The Devils comeback started following a pair of Spezza turnovers which led to shorthanded goals. On the second one, Alfredsson, the last defender back, made what he acknowledged was a weak lunge to try and break up a 2-on-1 break.

“We’ve got to be better in those areas and we can’t give up those kinds of chances,” Alfredsson said in a grand understatement.

The task hardly gets easier from here. The Senators are back at home Saturday to play the Vancouver Canucks, kicking off a four-game stretch against elite opponents. On Tuesday, the Senators travel to Buffalo to face the Sabres, then return home to face the Pittsburgh Penguins Wednesday and the Boston Bruins next Friday.

All that comes with the Senators suddenly facing injury issues on defence.

Sergei Gonchar left Thursday’s game with an upper body injury. The Senators had the day off from practice Friday and there was no immediate update on his status, but he’s doubtful for tonight’s game. Fellow veteran Filip Kuba is also out for at least another three weeks with an upper body ailment.

So much for the luxury of depth on defence. The Senators are fortunate that Matt Carkner is now back following a three-game conditioning stint with Binghamton of the American Hockey League and ready to make his season debut following knee surgery.

Due to the injury situation, rookie Jared Cowen played a career high 31:42 versus New Jersey. In one sense, it’s a compliment to Cowen’s solid play. But MacLean also had few options.

For the Kuba bashers out there, keep in mind that the Senators are now 1-4 with him out of the lineup, having blown the three third period leads during that time.

As impressive as Erik Karlsson is offensively as he challenges for the league lead in assists, he remains far from a complete defenceman, still a work in progress inside his own blueline. Likewise, rookie David Rundblad is pushed off the puck too easily and MacLean has to pick his spots to play him.

For all the negatives, the entertainment value from Senators games on most nights is in the five-star category – providing you like goals, lead changes and unpredictable finishes.

The Senators were down and out Thursday, but salvaged a point when Jesse Winchester tied the game 4-4 with five seconds remaining in regulation.

The Senators have scored 90 goals and allowed 101 goals, second most behind the Carolina Hurricanes. Go the concession stands for a beer and a hot dog and you might miss three goals. Leave the TV for a quick trip to the bathroom or the fridge and the game-changing odd man break could pass you by.

“I don’t think that’s the type of hockey we want to play, but we are happy that we can come back and make a game of it and we showed a lot of resiliency coming back from 4-3 in their barn to get that (Winchester) goal,” said Nick Foligno.

Foligno already has 10 goals – he scored 14 last season and nine in 2009-10 – and is riding a six-game point scoring streak. Meanwhile, Milan Michalek also has 18 goals, leading the league before Friday’s action, and has scored six goals in his past six games.

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Market to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.